Fresno County Public Library Poetry Contest

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This year, we received many excellent poems and, as far as we're concerned, everyone who submitted to the contest deserves to be celebrated. However, the judges could only honor a limited number of poems/poets with prizes. Here are the results:

Congratulations to the 1st-3rd place winners, and thank you to everyone who submitted poems to the contest! Your entries made for some fierce competition, and we look forward to enjoying more of your writing next year.

This year, FCPL received many outstanding submissions and they are currently under review by our judges. 1st-3rd place winners in each age category will be notified prior to the May 20 awards ceremony.

In the meanwhile, browse this site to enjoy all of the great poetry generated by our community!

Did you know this April will mark the 21st anniversary of National Poetry Month? Back in 1996, the Academy of American Poets decided to dedicate the month of April to the pursuit and passion of poetry. Soon thereafter, Fresno County Public Library instituted an annual April poetry contest to promote local creativity and literacy--2017 marks the contest's 18th year!Take part in a Library tradition and submit your poems throughout the month of April. Submitted poems will be reviewed by a talented panel of judges, in early May, and a ceremony honoring our winners and all of our contest participants will be held on Saturday, May 20 at Bitwise South Stadium. Refreshments and music will be punctuated by poetry readings from the winners!DATESThe contest runs from April 1 - 30, 2017Award ceremony held on May 20, 2017CATEGORIES3rd-6th Grade7th-8th Grade9th-12th GradeAdult (18+)PRIZESWinners in each category will receive a Barnes and Noble gift card, generously donated by the Friends of the Fresno County Public Library.1st Place: $1002nd Place: $503rd Place: $25RULESAll poems must be submitted using the webform on this site, which will be made available on April 1st. Only one poem per person will be considered for the contest. You must be a Fresno County resident to participate. If you are younger than 13, your parent must complete and submit the entry form for you. If you are a teacher and want to submit poems from your class, email Kristin Baer, or call 559-600-6174.New this year: Poems in the adult category will be accepted in English or Spanish (some of our judges are bilingual in English and Spanish.)

Remember: This contest is for all ages so please use appropriate language. The Library reserves the right to not publish or post entries. However, all poems will still be considered by the judges.

What’s
my favorite color?
Hmm, it's been a while,
But I’d say Blue,
More than the color,
More than the emotion.
But I really like red,
More than the temperature,
More than the mood.
Perhaps a purple?

But I also fancy green,
More than the feeling,
More than the well being.
Oh yellow is lovely,
More than the sentiment,
More than the riches.
I don’t know,
I guess I just love the rainbow.

Colors, colors, galore,
Who could ask for more?
With its bright and vivid hues,
Of orange, yellow, and burgundy too!
Oh, I wish I for a life more colorful,
When I look at the sky all I see are an overcast clouds.
For my value lies at zero,
While I feel stuck in shades of darkness,
Waiting for my colorful hero.-- Angel V., 17

You
are the sun in my sky each day,
And at night what chases it away;
Making way for a million lights,
Through darkness in their flights;
Removing piece after piece of black,
From the morning, stripping them back;
Giving breath to the lungs of the sky,
Brightening its colors so it won't cry;
Giving the sky its splash of blue,
The leaves in the trees, crisp and new;
Without worries, or anguish, or death,
There is a new world with new breath;
A world where a moment is a day,
And all negativity fades away;
A world that exists entirely within,
A world in which I am happy again.-- Marissa B., 16

Links

Just want to share some poetry with the world, and not interested in submitting it for review? Tweet it instead!

2017 Judges

Meet this year's judges:

Jasmine Armstrong, Children's Poetry Judge

Jasmine Armstrong received her MFA degree in Poetry from Fresno State. She has poems appearing in many journals and anthologies. She is currently working on a doctorate from Merced University.

Lou Standifer, Middle School Poetry Judge

Lou Standifer is dedicated to the art of Slam Poetry, free speech, creative writing, and expression for students in and around Clovis, CA. He has worked tirelessly for years, performing and writing throughout the Central Valley. He has helped hundreds of students learn the art of writing and given the a platform to find their poetry voices.

Angela Chaidez Vincent, High School Poetry Judge

Angela Chaidez Vincent divides her time between writing, teaching computer science, and dance performance. She holds an MFA from California State University, Fresno and her poetry has appeared in Bellevue Literary Review, Atlanta Review, 32 Poems, North American Review, and others.

Michael Jasso, Adult/Spanish Poetry Judge

Michael Jasso is a performance poet, workshop educator, and an event organizer from Visalia, CA. He is the Founder and Slammaster of the Loud Mouth Poetry Jam, the Central Valley's only PSI-Certified slam venue. He has represented his venue twice at the 2014 and 2015 National Poetry Slam and has coached individual representatives for the Individual and Women of the World Poetry Slams. Along with competing, he teaches spoken word workshops at local high schools and college campuses. He also looks forward to becoming your friend.